Severe Weather

 

Severe Weather Arrangements

At this time of year very bad weather can sometimes force an emergency closure of the school.  This is something we will always try to avoid because of the problems it creates for pupils, and even more so for their families.  Only serious concern for the health and safety of pupils and staff will make us consider an emergency closure.

The following guidelines should be helpful to parents if severe weather sets in. 

If heavy snow during the day begins to affect roads and traffic this is only an emergency situation for pupils and staff who have to travel a distance.  Families who live within walking distance of the school will not normally have a serious problem.  In this situation we take the advice of our bus and taxi operators, the police and up-to-date weather reports and if necessary will arrange for pupils in outlying areas to be taken home early and for staff who travel a distance then to be released.  Local pupils may have to be sent home at a later stage.

Since we cannot normally give advance warning of an early closure it will be sensible if families have plans worked out to deal with this situation.  We always tell pupils to stay in school if they do not have a safe house to go to, but this is not an ideal situation for any length of time.

Please remember that we will never question a parent’s own judgement on a question of a child’s safety.  Conditions in Crieff can be quite different from those in the surrounding countryside and parents who therefore decide to pick up children early will have our full co-operation even if the school is staying open.  Information and advice from parents out in the countryside can be very helpful to us in making our own decisions.

If snowy weather sets in overnight we again get the best information we can and if possible arrange for advice to be broadcast on Radio Tay before people begin their journeys.  Sometimes our bus or taxi operators will make their own decisions not to operate the service because they are worried about the safety of the journey to or from school.  Our experience is that they do not take such a decision lightly, and parents who then make their own arrangements to get children to school should have a fall-back plan in case conditions worsen and transport is not available to get them home.  Again, we will not question a parent’s own judgement about the safety of the journey.

The advice given here is based on our own experience and also on guidelines supplied by the Education Department. The Education Authority has made arrangements to give parents and pupils information about school closures and these are given below.

Any parents who have questions about any of the points covered here should feel free to contact me for further advice.

Yours faithfully

Mrs C E Ross

Headteacher

 

Sources of School Closures Information

Radio Tay – Frequency  AM1584             FM 96.4         Perth only

Radio Tay – Frequency   AM 1161           FM 102.8       Everywhere else

Radio Forth – Frequency    AM 1548        FM 97.3

Heartland FM – Frequency              FM 97.5

Perth and Kinross Council Information Line – 0845 3011100